Cases concerned with the withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment from patients in a minimally conscious or vegetative state should all be heard by the Court of Protection and should be heard in public, a senior judge ruled this morning as he refused an application by the family of a woman who has been in this condition since February 2003.

Commenting on the government’s refusal to enact legislation on cohabitation in this Parliament the Law Society says reform of cohabitation law is badly needed as cohabitants should have proper redress in the event of a relationship breakdown, when their financial and property rights need to be adjusted.

Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General, is to raise concerns about cuts in legal aid with the Cabinet. Mr Grieve has said he will pass on the fears of family lawyers that the Coalition’s cuts will force many people to try to represent themselves in court.

A groundbreaking coalition of children and young people's charities, voluntary organisations and statutory bodies will join forces for a year of action to see greater recognition of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child and to press for its systematic use and implementation across all areas of children's lives.

This Order amends the Community Legal Service (Funding) Order 2007 (S.I.2007/2441) ("the 2007 Order"). It reduces the cap on the level of enhancements to hourly rates that can be paid to 100% for civil non-family proceedings in the higher courts and 50% for all other proceedings.

This Order amends the Allocation and Transfer of Proceedings Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2836) so that Chorley County Court, Rawtenstall County Court and Shrewsbury County Court cease to be family hearing centres.

The government’s plans to remove legal aid in private law family cases will place the UK in breach of its obligations under a United Nations convention to prevent discrimination against women, the Gazette has been told.

Residential child care in Wales has experienced "significant turnover" and a disproportionate number of conduct referrals since the introduction of mandatory registration, the Care Council for Wales reveals in its annual review.

‘Government proposals for same-sex marriage are welcome, but must not entrench new forms of discrimination’, the British Humanist Association has commented in response to the government’s announcement of a consultation into the reform of civil marriage.

Campaign groups have vowed to continue their fight against the government’s legal aid cuts, following the rejection of opposition amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill by a committee of MPs.

His Honour Judge Altman, designated family judge for London, has issued Guidance in relation to a trial at the Principal Registry of the Family Division regarding the filing and service of documentation within public law cases.

A hardcore of parents are trying to avoid paying child maintenance using "ridiculous" excuses - including a footballer earning £4,000 a week who said he could not pay off arrears because of the cost of keeping his Ferrari on the road, a Government report has revealed.

Reduced legal aid fees for expert witnesses are making it ‘almost impossible’ to find experts and in some cases leaving law firms out of pocket by thousands of pounds, a leading family lawyer has warned.